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Peter Sam
Peter Sam, named after the Skarloey Railway's previous controller, Mr. Peter Sam, and formerly named Stuart after his builder, is a narrow gauge saddle-tank engine who works on the Skarloey Railway. Prior to working here, Peter Sam had worked on the Mid Sodor Railway until the line closed. Peter Sam is a cheery and enthusiastic engine, but is somewhat naïve and sometimes takes things a bit too literally. Nonetheless, he is still a really useful engine. Biography ''The Railway Series Stuart was built by Kerr, Stuart & Co. in 1920 for the Mid Sodor Railway, and was shipped by rail to Cronk, where he was then delivered to Peel Godred by a traction engine. Upon his arrival, he was painted green and was named "Stuart", after his builder. (''Book; The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways) Stuart was a cheeky little engine who enjoyed teasing Duke, often telling him that he and Falcon would have to look after him as he grew older. Therefore, he was delighted when he was called out to help a weakened Duke back to the Works Station, and chortled gleefully along the way. However, Duke was by no means crippled, and during the journey, he used the last of his strength to push Stuart and the train up the hill with great effort. When the train reached the station, Stuart angrily wheeshed a cloud of steam when a father remarked that he had "broken down" and Duke had to help him. In 1947, the Mid Sodor Railway closed down. Stuart and Falcon were both purchased, but nobody wanted Duke, as they found him too old. Stuart tried to cheer Duke up and told him that they would find him a nice railway where they could keep him in order, but deep down, he and the other engines thought their dreams would never come true. He and Falcon both left the railway to begin work elsewhere, while Duke was sheeted up in the sheds at Arlesdale. (RWS; Duke the Lost Engine) Stuart and Falcon both worked at the Peel Godred Aluminium Company, and helped out with a construction project that was underway. However, when the project was finished in 1950, Stuart was sheeted up and locked away in a shed at Peel Godred. He and Falcon both remained here for over a year until they were purchased by Sir Handel Brown. After undergoing an overhaul and being repainted, Stuart was renamed "Peter Sam" after the Thin Controller, and he entered service on the Skarloey Railway in 1952. (Book; The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways) When Peter Sam and Falcon, now Sir Handel, arrived on the Skarloey Railway, Peter Sam was the kinder of the two engines, and defended Skarloey when Sir Handel was being rude to him. When Sir Handel was shut up in the shed, Peter Sam was delighted to do his work as well as his own, and the coaches greatly enjoyed his enthusiasm and politeness, as he treated them with respect and sang little songs to them as he did his work. However, Peter Sam was left worried when Henry threatened to leave the station if he was late, and was in a hurry to get back as soon as he could. He was so worried about this that he began to leave the station by the lake before the Refreshment Lady could climb on board, and did not find out that Henry had only been joking until he reached Crovan's Gate. (RWS; Four Little Engines) After Skarloey was sent away to be overhauled, Peter Sam and Sir Handel did most of the work on the railway, and the Owner had them fitted with buffers and bought a diesel engine named Rusty to help them. However, Sir Handel began to feel overworked, and feigned illness so that he could stay in the shed. As there was no time for Sir Handel to be examined, Peter Sam did his work as well as his own, and took some trucks up to the Slate Quarry to fetch some loaded ones. However, when Peter Sam arrived at the Quarry, the loaded trucks on the incline mistook him for Sir Handel, and broke away from the winch and smashed into him at the bottom of the incline, badly damaging him. Peter Sam was helped by Rusty after the accident, and limped home to the shed. When a group of men came to the railway and began examining the line, Peter Sam, along with Sir Handel, feared that the line would be closing down, just as their old one had. However, he later discovered that they were BBC producers who were going to film a television documentary about the line, and was overjoyed when he was chosen to take them around the railway so that they could film everything they needed for the programme. The producers filmed the railway from Ada, Jane and Mabel, and Peter Sam pulled the train along the line so that they could film the line. (RWS; The Little Old Engine) For a long time after his accident at the incline, Peter Sam's funnel wobbled about as he puffed along the line. He was told by the Thin Controller that he had a new, "special" funnel that would arrive for him, but the other engines - Sir Handel in particular - teased him about it. Peter Sam's funnel was finally knocked off when, as he was puffing through the tunnel, he hit a low-hanging icicle, which broke his funnel right off. Peter Sam had a drainpipe wired to his smokebox as a temporary fix until his new funnel, a Giesel ejector, arrived. At first, Peter Sam was teased about his new funnel by the other engines, but when they saw how easily he pulled trains with it, they began to wish they had one like it. (RWS; Gallant Old Engine) When Peter Sam found out that the Duke of Sodor would be arriving for Skarloey and Rheneas' 100th birthday and the railway's centenary, he told Duck about it, but was horrified to discover that all of the "Dukes" had been scrapped; Duck had believed he was talking about a Great Western locomotive class, but Peter Sam was had thought he was referring to Duke. When the real Duke came to the railway, Peter Sam interrupted his speech and asked him if he was real. Having already expected this question, the Duke cheerfully told him that he was, indeed, a real person. (RWS; Very Old Engines) However, Peter Sam was still doubtful after this, and he and Sir Handel told the other engines about their Duke, the engine they used to work with. In 1969, Duke was rediscovered at Arlesdale and was brought back to the Skarloey Railway, and Peter Sam and Sir Handel greeted him when he arrived. (RWS; Duke the Lost Engine) Peter Sam once came along a pile of hedge cuttings that had been piled on the line. Thinking nothing of them, Peter Sam recklessly charged at the branches, but the branches got caught in his valve gear, causing him tremendous pain. Peter Sam was cut out of the branches by his crew and the passengers, but the other engines teased him. (RWS; Great Little Engines) Peter Sam was later sent to the Talyllyn Railway to help out with the engine shortage on the line. During his visit, he took on some strange-tasting water at the sheds, but his Driver was unconcerned. As he was beginning to leave the station with his passenger train, Peter Sam shot out a spray of filthy, white water from his funnel, which covered his smokebox. Talyllyn took his train for him, but Peter Sam was forced to stay at the station, as some visitors had arrived just to see him. After returning to Sodor, Peter Sam attended the naming ceremony of Ivo Hugh. (RWS; New Little Engine) ''Thomas & Friends'' Personality and Traits Technical Details Basis Livery Appearances The Railway Series Thomas & Friends Trivia Merchandise Gallery References Category:Awdry-created characters Category:Mid Sodor Railway Category:Skarloey Railway Category:Narrow gauge engines Category:Steam locomotives Category:Tank engines Category:0-4-2